Stefano Giovannoni studied architecture at Florence University until 1978. From 1979 he taught there, as well as at the Domus Academy in Milan and the UniversitÓ del Progetto in Reggio Emilia. Stefano Giovannoni is an industrial designer, interior decorator, and architect. In the 1980s Stefano Giovannoni and Guido Venturini founded the King-Kong studio. They collaborated on the extremely successful "Girotondo" line for Alessi, which includes numerous household appliances and utilitarian objects made of metal and plastic and featuring the distinctive cut-out stick-man pictogram. In the 1990s Stefano Giovannoni created numerous original designs and such Alessi classics as the "Fruit Mama" (1993) fruit bowl, the "Merdolina" (1993) toilet brush, and the "Lilliput" (1993) salt and peppers. In 1995 Stefano Giovannoni designed "Mary Biscuit", a cookie jar of garishly colored plastic with an outsize cookie on the lid. This creation was followed up in 1998 by the "Ship Shape" butter dish, and, in 2000, by the "Cico" egg cup. In 2003 Stefano Giovannoni ddesigned the "Mami" line of cookware, tableware, and kitchen cutlery. Stefano Giovannoni also works for a host of other firms, including Magis, Flos, Fiat, Seiko, Siemens, Henkel, Lavazza, and Helit.